Sunday, April 11, 2010

My son and I attend a weekly music class together. Before each of our classes, the teacher passes around a bottle of CleanWell Hand Santitizer, a brand that uses thyme and other plant oils in its formulation. The first time I used the spray, I immediately noticed the unique thyme and herbal fragrance. At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but the smell grew on me over time. The music class was my family's first introduction to a natural sanitizing product that used the ingredient thymol, a component of thyme oil. This past week, thanks to MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation, my family had the chance to try out some new thymol containing products. We received the Seventh Generation "Disinfecting Cleaning Kit" pictured below to review.

Seventh Generation, a leading company in "responsible cleaning," recently released a new line of household disinfecting products that uses the thymol disinfectant technology developed by CleanWell. According to the manufacturer, the disinfectant products kill over 99.99% of household germs* naturally and are effective against the Influenza A Virus, including H1N1 (*refer to product labels for full details). The products can be used on hard surfaces and are EPA registered.

Our thoughts: The essential oils, including thyme and lemongrass, give these products a plant based fragrance. The thyme oil smell is pronounced but not overwhelming. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to fragrances of cleaning products. I like the natural, herb scent of this new Seventh Generation line. My husband, however, isn't fond of the earthy, botanical smell. (I guess as long as he doesn't have to do the cleaning, he won't complain.) I've used all three products to clean my home, and I'm happy with the results. I used the Multi-Surface Cleaner in my kitchen to spray down the counter and sink area. The Bathroom Cleaner foams up nicely when sprayed on surfaces and didn't leave streaks or film when wiped off with a damp rag. The formula on the wipes tends to create more of a lather than other wipes I've used in the past, but I didn't notice any other differences. What I like most about the products is that they are manufactured by a company that takes environmental responsibility seriously and focuses on safe products for people and the environment.

A paperback book titled The Conscious Kitchen: The New Way to Buy and Cook Food - to Protect the Earth, Improve Your Health, and Eat Deliciously by Alexandra Zissu was also included with our kit. Zissu's new book, just released this March, discusses sustainability and how to implement money saving and environmentally friendly practices in your home, especially when it comes to making choices involving food. She has partnered with Seventh Generation to educate consumers about no compromise solutions to clean their homes and kitchens. I found several of the tips in the book very handy. She covers all sorts of topics from food storage to choosing beer and wine. We're trying to pay more attention to what we consume and implement ways to reduce our ecological footprint. Resources like Zissu's book help us stay on the right path toward a greener life.

If you'd like to try one of the new disinfecting products out, Seventh Generation is currently offering a $1 off coupon on their website. (Must first join the site to access coupons.) Learn more about the products in this YouTube video:

Getting ready for spring cleaning and Earth Day? Win a kit! Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation, one Brimful Curiosities reader will receive a Seventh Generation "Disinfecting Cleaning Kit" that includes a disinfecting multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, wipes, a copy of The Conscious Kitchen, a cleaning caddy made from recycled plastic, and two rolls of 100% recycled, unbleached paper towels.

To enter, leave a comment with the best thing you´ve done for the environment this year. Or, do you have any plans for Earth Day next week?

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.• Contest is open to US• Contest ends on Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.3rd extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader

Seventh Generation provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark for review purposes. I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

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comments:

Best thing I've done this year?? I already use all natural Melaleuca cleaning products and I also use cloth diapers for my son. I don't have room for a compost pile (live in a townhouse with no backyard) but I frequently send my compost home with my mom when she visits :) Nothing to terribly grand, I'm afraid.

I am a follower and great contest! I try to continually do things as eco-friendly as I can figure out how. Instead of using cleaning products or solutions I use naturally made ones. My fiance and I grow some of our food so that our veggies etc aren't sprayed and things like that. We also limit our driving to going to get necessities once every week to month. etc. Wonderful contest!!!!

The best thing we've done? Teach our son (especially through example) ways that he can help take care of the Earth. Simple things, like saving water, turning off lights, picking up trash. I think teaching our kids is one of the most important things we can do to help our planet!

Every year I go to the county extension for Earth Day. They have free classes on how to create rainwater collectors and give away free native plants. I'm in Florida and native plants here are more able to survive without a lot of chemical treatments or watering. That's good for the environment and easier for me!

Well, I do just about everything recommended for being green and good to our Earth on a fairly regular basis (I've got to get a bit more disciplined about bringing my own shopping bags IN to the store... they tend to get left in the trunk). Probably the biggest thing I've done for the Earth this year is to expand the storage capacity of my rainwater harvesting system to 3400 gallons! I can then use this water for my fruit trees and veggie garden (eating locally and very fresh and healthy!).

The best thing we have done for the environment this year is to stop using plastic products: cups, plates, glasses, utensils, etc. We are also taking our own cloth bags to the grocery story and not using plastic bags when purchasing groceries.hi_joan_elliott at hotmail dot com

Last week on Earth Day, I taught my K -1 class how to make 2 projects using recycled items. First we made newspaper hats. Then we made "green" reminder signs out of cereal box cardboard with slogans like : Don't waste water! and Be green!

About Me

Brimful Curiosities is a mom blog/book blog featuring reviews and posts on children's books, music, educational products, toys and more. It's home to the weekly "Full to the Brim" Kid's Book Giveaway List. Occasionally it includes non-children related product and book reviews and personal postings.